Bracing for coiled tubular units



Sept' 11, 19:034- E. RAwsoN 1,973,100

BRACING FOR COILED TUBULAR UNITS Filed Aug.. 24, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l BY @KTM ATTORNEY Sept. ll, 1934. E. RAwsoN BRACING FOR COILED TUBULAR UNITS Filed Aug'. 24, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 11, 1934 1,973,190' BRAClNG vFRl oo ILED VTUBULAR UNITS" Emanuel RawsonyNort'h-jlwergen, N. as signoi" to The Superheater Company, 'Y New York, j

IApplnati-mn Augpstrlrzi, 19:33, serialno. 686,5221 6 claims.l A(o1. 257-229) My invention relates to the art of bracing coiled units. f

It has been proposed to employ tubular units in heat exchangers in which the tubes are formed into spiral coils. A typical example of such structuresisfound in the patent'to Grin,No.`1,913,879. Such devices are often installed on locomotives or other vehicles in which the spiral units are subjected to a great deal of vibration. On steam driven vehicles in particular,v such devices are often employed to preheat feed Water for the boiler.Y In such.instances,.the spiral coils ar'e subjected not only to vibrations from the vehicle, butalso to pressure pulsations from the feed pump tending to cause them to expand and con'- tract. The vibrations due to the motion of the vehicle and the expansions and contractions due to the pressure and temperature changes cause difficulties of various kinds such as the cutting of the coils due to rubbing against thefbraces and even the breaking of the coils.`

`It vis an object ofthe present invention to provide an arrangement of coils and braces adapted for heat exchangers used on vehicles which will minimize the mechanical difficulties experienced With the units. The novel features of the invention are pointed out in the appended claims. Ther invention, however, together with its objects andadvantages, will best be understood-from the following detailed descriptionand its accompanying drawings of` a heat exchanger which' exemplifies the invention and which is selected froma number of possible embodiments thereof. In said drawings, f Fig. 1 vis a verticalcentral sectional view'of `a portion of the smokeV box of a steamlocomotive having an exhaust steam feed Water heater -equipped with my invention. l f Fig. 2 is a planr View of the feed Water heater rshown in Fig. 1, the cover plate'having been removed.` 1"' Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of one of the coil units and a portion of a ..415 header as shown inFigs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail in plan of an intermediate portion of a coil shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail in section of an intermediate portion of a unit shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail in plan of a portion of the top coils of the unit Ashown in Fig. 3.

In the arrangement illustrated, the smoke box 10 of a locomotive boiler has a feed water heater 12 mounted therein. The heater 12 and its general arrangement with relation to the smoke box 10 are substantially the same asin said patent toGrifn. `As illustrated-the heater '129.00mprises an outer chamberzwithin the lower portion ofv which are twoparallelheaders, 14 and 16; Feed` Water.tobeheated enters Vthe headert14 6e. and flows through the :helical units 18, ,18- to the. outlet header 16. Exhaust steamfor heat-` ing the water in units l18 is introduced through apertures 20, 20 into Vthe space Within the heater which surrounds such units'. Each of the units 65. 18 is composed of an' outer coil 18a andan inner coillb which are so arranged and connected that'the feed Water rises through one lcoil and descends vthrough the other'.` As illustrated, lthe units 18 are arranged in two; rows, one row of fm4 units having their vertical axes above the header 1.4 and the units in the othenrcw having their vertical axesabove the header 16. 'Theouter coils 18a of ione Vrow of units are shown as ,connected to header 14 while the inner coils 18h75v of the other roW of units are connected toheader 14. Necessarily then, the inner coils of the former roW of units are connected to the header 16 and the outer coils of the latter row of units are connected to the header 16.Y However, Ido not limit myself to units of the two-coil. type or indeed to units of the helical type. n

As best illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, each unit has mounted therein along its central axis (preferably vertical) abolt 22. It hasfbeen found convenient to attach the bolts 22; to the headers 14 and16 by threading them into lugs, 24-on such headers. Surrounding each bolt 22- is asleevelike. standard 26' shown' as Yclamped between'` the end of theA lug 24 and anut 28 V,ontheouter,end 90 of 'the bolt 22. Each standard 26 has fixed theretoY one or more pairstof arms, bodieskl of Weld metalbeing'shown foraiiixing the arms tothe standards: The arm 30a at the inner end vof lstandard 2c ispaired VWit-.i1 an arm sob at the 5 outer end of such standard andthe arms of a givengpair liegin a.- plane which intersects the axisof'the .unit y18 'and the bolt 22. Aspshown, there aretwo pairs of' arms 30a and -BObon each standard 26 and lying'insthe same lplane, through the axis of a given unit 18. The individual turns ofthe coils 18a and lbjare spaced apart by a series of spacer members 32, 32, which are preferably short and grooved to t the outer surfaces of such turns. The spacermernbers 32 form a ,m5 part of means including the arms 30a and 30D for preventing vibrations and oscillations of the coils of the units. In the arrangement shown, such means includes, in addition to members 32, a pair of bolts 34 each of which extends between 110 the coils 18a and 18h and runs through the arms a and 30h. At its one end, each bolt 34 carries a guide nut 36 adapted to slide in an aperture 38 in one of the arms 30h. Spaced from thevnut 36 by an intermediate washer 40 is a clamp member 42 shown as having a U-shape and a central aperture, 44 thrqugh i,whichthe bolt- 34 extends. The @mls-@f the LU #pice 42 rest in groovesv the outer faces of members 32a, identical with spacer members 32, placed on the end faces ftli'ed" turns of the coils 18/1 and 18h. At their other ends, coils 18a and 18D havervnembers Y3219, identical with members 32, between tlieend-faes of'- ranged impairs onsaildstandards, each such pair their end turns and the arms I301,1suc1l1 arms, ha f the different axial positions of the end turns 'in the two coils and permit the use of identicalmemf bers 32h. At its opposite-endfroirrnntpthbolt 34 extends through an aperture 4( i 1f1V l.the arm coilsof. the .units are `thereby-held against hurtful vibrations .andoscillations but the units .canbe readily connected toanddisconnected fromY the headers 14and 16 wheneverdesired. Preferably the-Mendsofallwthe bolts 22 are fastened to .a framework `52 so thattheir outerends shall be bracedaagainst vibration.` As shown, the. frame-y work 52 is-made of-.light angle irons connected to thefbolts-42 .by nuts'54. Preferably the .framework 54-is connected to the outer casingxlS. ofthe heater 1'2 at points56, 56. As .appears best in li'igs.y 4, 5 and 6, the members k32.have.notches 33 in their edges on their sides adjacent '.bolt.34 and suchbolt projects. into.the'.notches.`33, thereby locking -members 32 against movementalong .the turnsof coils 18m-.18ct, and 18h. .Bolt34 Vthus acts in two capacities.'A- .f .3;

While I have illustratedmy invention. in con-.- nectionwithaparticular type of coil` unit,;I, do not limit' myself. in allcases to. the details ofthe disclosure, it being understood thatthezclaims are to be'taken their broad sense. In particular Ido'n'ot limit myself in all casesto arm-like supports, or to helically coiled units, or yto 'units having coils one within another. Neitherdo. I

lim-it myself to fusing driven vehicles.' .1 .n.n,... Y A`Having vthus ldescribed my invention, :I -claim: FLA heat exchanger having spirallycoiledtu.- bularheating units, rstandards arranged. axially I'of` said units, parallel 4supports .fixed to A.said

myv invention on Asteam ystandards and lspaced axially thereon, eachgsuch -s1pportlying transversely of a certainstandard,

spacer members between adjacent turns ofthe coilsof-Asaid units, and' resilient .means for press.- ing saidy members and said coils. 'together and against the supports at one.: end ofsaid supports.

vertically extending tubular heating unitsstand.

vertically extending tubular heating units, said 3. A heat exchanger and having helically coiled units having inner and outer coils connected in series,` standards narranged axially of said units, transversely extending axially spaced arms arincludes the axis of a given standard, =spacer members between adjacrent, turns o flthe'coilswof said units and formed tottlie outer -surfacesof such turns.and re- )siliehnt'lmeans for pressing said turns and said members together and against the lower ones of said armswm1 .e j i. n Y 4. A heat exchanger asset forth in claim.3.to.` gether withV parallel headerslhaving lugs thereon for supporting ,the standards. i BNA heat exchanger having spirally. coiled. vertically extending tubular .heating units, saidunits' having inner and outer coils, the,-coils.of .a given unit.connected together at the top ,of the .unit and the inletandoutl'et of .each unit being at the bottom, .a pairrof headersbelow saidunits andto which. the.units.ar`e connected, forflow of fluid therebetween,. lugs. on ,the upper. sides. of..said headers, standards supported onV and .extending upwardly .from saidlugsand arranged axially of said units, .transversely extending.. axially spaced armsarrangedin pairs on said stand-'- ards, each vsuch pair lyingin a plane which includes theaxis of a given` standard.. spacer mem-5 bers. between the.y adjacent turns. .of Vthe coilsof saidunits, and means for pressing said turns `and 1:1'5 said membersto'gether andagainst the lower. ones of said arms,` said means .includingva bolt lying llo intermediate the inner and outer coils of a given axis of the coils and having notches in their edges, B

the. notches .inthe edgesof themembers in one such coilV facing .thenotches in theA edgesof the members intheothersuch coil,;.a..b0lt ;lyinghe. tween the coils of said unitiand*arrangedtolocl: said members, against (creeping along tlreuturns 1.35 of the.coils,.and.means associated withsaidgbglt for resiliently clamping said members and the l .turnsof said unit together. Y 2. Aheat exchangeriandhaving spirally coiled 5 

